Layla's Lethargic 2 1/2 weeks after spay???

    • Bronze

    Layla's Lethargic 2 1/2 weeks after spay???

    Ok so I posted before about all the complications layla had after her spay. She had fluid coming out of incision and was bleeding vaginally quite a bit. The fluid stopped and vaginal bleeding is minimal. Now she developed some type of bump on her incision that looks like a blood blister and when they removed her stitches(that night) it busted open. I wrapped a bandage around her stomach and took her back to the vet. They said it needed to open up and would heal up in about a week and to keep her calm another week(ugh). That seemed impossible because she was a bundle of energy and ready to be up, but I said ok. So I get her home and she lays down and hasn't moved, just like that now she is lethargic keeps kind of throwing up in her mouth and swallowing it. Shes not really been wanting to eat the last 2 days but especially not now, so I started with the syringe feeding again a little just to make sure she has some nutrients going in. But she is drinking water and that seems to be a lot more than usual. She is still taking tramadol due to all of the problems and her having a low pain threshold, but she has been taking it the whole time and it has only made her a little drowsy not lethargic. They gave me a sedative but I didn't give it to her yet and am not going to  now. I feel like maybe she has an infection from a reaction to the sutures because when they were in she was really red just around the stitches and then this blister comes up right where the stitch was and now she is lethargic and sick to her stomach after the blister busts. So i went ahead and started her on antibiotics that I had here until I can talk to my vet tomorrow. Does anybody have any idea what this could be or if I'm doing the right thing here??? Just started calming down and now I'm scared all over again :(

    • Gold Top Dog
    it sounds like an infection... I know you had problems with the new vet you went to see as well....is there another vet around you that you could take her to? something does not sound right... have you talked to the first clinic?
    • Gold Top Dog

    I agree -- something is not right.  I'd want a blood panel and I'd want someone to seriously care about this animal.  She could be septic from infection -- I would honestly not take "no" for an answer.  Don't give her a sedative -- you could lose her.

    And I'd want to know why -- two weeks post surgery -- she needs pain meds??? That's just not right

    • Bronze
    I have been feeling like something is not right the whole time. I have stayed with the original vet but explained that if there are anymore surgeries I will be going to va tech for that. Layla has been improving so I started to calm down and now she has done a complete 360 in one day. They did do bloodwork about a week ago and I demanded a vaginal smear to check for infection down there and they checked her kidneys. All was fine then, but could she have developed this infection from the inside sutures after the bloodwork was done? I did not see my vet today because she was off but I will call her in the morning and explain how I feel and demand tests be done. How do you check for infection, is that bloodwork?
    • Bronze

    oh and definitely not foing the sedatives. I am sitting right beside her with my hand on her chest just to make sure she is ok. She has slept since 1pm except for 2 potty breaks (which she seems to have plenty of energy then?)

    • Gold Top Dog

     I've never heard of a serious infection from a suture reaction (as those sutures are just under the skin), but I suppose anything is possible.  Bloodwork should have shown elevated white blood cell counts, though.

     You might consider reducing the Tramadol dose..if she's not actually requiring as high of a dose due to reduced pain, it may just be zonking her.  I know when I tried to give the higher suggested dosage of Tramadol to Julian when he had an elbow issue, he was practically a rug in the middle of the room.

    If she's acting normally on potty runs, it seems it is something making her tired, vs being sickly

    • Bronze
    I thought about that too, so I haven't given her anything except the antibiotic since around 2pm and I was gonna give it until morning to see if she bounces back. I just don't want to ignore something serious and wake up to a dying dog or something horrible like that :( I always think its the worst and i guess thats bad but it keeps me from overlooking something serious. I guess its just everything together worries me, but hopefully she will be ok in the morning, i'm just scared to go to sleep...
    • Bronze
    Ok she seems to have a little more energy this morning, but was it the antibiotics that made her feel better, or was she just feeling yucky and tired last night and feels better today? I started wondering if the vet gave her any kind of meds when they took her back yesterday, but wouldn't they have to tell me if they did that?  I guess I should just watch her today and keep doing what i'm doing and get her off the pain meds as much as possible. I wonder if it could have been the syringe feeding that helped too? lol who knows
    • Bronze

    I only gave her tramadol once today, no sedative and she is still quite zonked out. I called the vet and asked if they gave her meds i didn't know about and they said no. I told them she was lethargic but they didn't seem concerned, Do the meds have a cumulative effect, like is it gonna take a while for them to get out of her system?

    • Gold Top Dog

    awright
    she was lethargic but they didn't seem concerned, Do the meds have a cumulative effect, like is it gonna take a while for them to get out of her system?

     

     You told them shes lethargic and they brushed it off? No way! I would be going to a new vet ASAP, my dogs well being is my #1 priority, as I'm sure its yours also. She shouldn't be on pain meds 2 weeks post spay either. Pain meds are great at masking a real problem.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I understand sometimes when you are nervous and worried it's easy to be overly concerned.  HOWEVER -- none of this sounds good, nor does it sound right.  and sometimes it's just plain BEST to go to a new vet (or the vet school) and get a clear, new, unbiased opinion if everything is ok.

    If you are near Layla -- look in her mouth.  Look at her gums.  Are they nice and pink (they should look like yours).  Or are they pale?

    Take the tip of your finger and "press" pretty hard on her gums for a count of 5.  Release -- pressing like that will push the blood out of the area and when you release it should snap back to *pink* nice and fast (within a second or two). 

     If her gums are pale, or if her gums don't refill to "pink" right away -- go to the vet NOW. 

    Sometimes stuff like this is just "nothing huge".  But you've got a dog acting lethargic a couple of weeks after a spay.  ***ANY TIME*** a dog is unaccountably lethargic you gotta pay attention.

    Don't feel stupid or "over the top".  You're the owner -- you are her guardian and her advocate.  She's not acting normal.  This should have been routine and either the vet's office is doing a darned poor job of relieving your fears and taking this seriously OR something's not right.  And you've called them enough at this point that they're probably just plain ignoring you.

    That's wrong and that's dumb.  You're not going TO learn what is "typical" and what's not by just being blown off.  AND Layla could suffer. 

    EVEN IF she's acting a bit better today -- she's still not healthy.  Is she eating normally?  Does she have true energy?  If not, I'd flatly tell you to just plain GO TO ANOTHER VET ***today***.  It's Friday.  You don't want to get blown off all weekend long and have her not be able to get good help (and an emergency vet is NOT "good help" -- they should be for emergencies ONLY).

    Layla can't talk, hon -- and there's no way any of us can really relieve your fears.  You aren't being silly or stupid -- you have a dog who is not acting normally two weeks after a simply ordinary spay.  to be Layla's BEST advocate - ditch this vet and go see someone else you can trust.  Tell them when you call that you've got a dog who is lethargic and it's two weeks post spay and YOU ARE WORRIED.  Tell them you really need to have her seen ***TODAY*** and don't take no for an answer.  If they say no, call someone else.  Or even walk into Banfield (at PetSmart) if you can't do ANYTHING better. 

    NO, they should not have given her any meds while you were out of their sight.  Not without ok'ing it or telling you about it.   It takes them a while to detox from certain things but NOTHING should cause what you're describing -- and your vet office's responses SUCK.  (Sorry -- no owner/guardian should EVER be blown off for describing lethargy -- it is the NUMBER ONE dangerous illness symptom!!!)

    Frankly -- what you are describing to ME is a sick dog.  "a little bit" isn't good enough to be honest.  And at this point if something is WRONG it's not getting better very fast.  I honestly wouldn't trust what your vet is saying at all -- if there IS a problem and if they are thinking if they just remain silent you won't get angry or sue (if they can make you feel "overly concerned" then they think you won't retaliate if they can somehow make it look like it's normal or they aren't to blame).

    I'd be to another vet so fast it would make their head spin.  I'd write out on paper what's happened, along with your vet's name/phone number and tell the new vet to call the old one for her records.  But I'd do it *now* so you don't run into not being able to find treatment late on a Friday or on a weekend.

    Yes, I can be a pushy old broad -- but you know what?  You're the only advocate Layla has.  It's OK for you to be a Momma Bear.  No one else is going to do it for Layla. 

    • Gold Top Dog

     Callie, as always you said it much better.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Not sure how "good" I said it but I'm a bit angry for this lady and her dog.   (in other words, angry that the vet is treating you and Layla this way)

    It's really difficult for some folks to really get confrontational with a vet or be confident in themselves **enough** to go to a different vet.  But sometimes we have to back someone so they can do that!

    • Gold Top Dog

    I agree with what Callie is telling you too.  I've taken Willow to get a second opinion more than once when I wasn't sure or when I thought I wasn't being taken as seriously as I wanted to be.  Hope Layla is feeling better.  Let us know how she is doing. 

    • Gold Top Dog

     I have no problem vocalizing my concerns to the vet. Especially when it comes to my beloved Tootsie. I've switched vets because they had Toots listed as a Cardigan!